A few months ago it was announced that the Library of Congress is now starting an SPX collection which will assemble comics from SPX exhibitors but also items they donate. The LoC is wary of having tons of other people’s weird old crap dumped on them; however, the minicomics collection is just the kind of essential folk art that the LoC was created to preserve.

We were totally joking about this collection being a lot of junk above, BTW. Dean is a fanatical collector (like a lot of us) but he keeps his stuff NEAT. Ignatz coordinator Eden Miller writes more about the collection:

There was an incredible amount of stuff in this collection, which probably dated from the late ’90s until the late ’00s. There were comics I didn’t even know existed and plenty of things I kept threatening to take (but I didn’t. You’re welcome, America).

Some of these delighted me because they were things friends of mine have done — like one of the Full Sanction minis from 2000 — and a couple of Chris Pitzer’s Procrastination Comics.

Others just made me feel this awe of “I can’t believe I’m looking at this” like a preview mini of Craig Thompson’s Blankets and a set of portrait sketches done by Charles Burns. I was also amazed by the Alfe and Horace minis which I can find no record of existing anywhere (they didn’t have a creator’s name on them, but it’s a safe assumption that they were done by Ben Jones). There were also several minicomics by Jeff Smith, which I didn’t even know he had made.

All joking aside, it’s awesome that this collection has found a good home. Makes us wonder what to do with all OUR old minicomics (10 shoeboxes and counting.) Maybe we can just quietly drop it off at Dean’s house and hope nobody notices?

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Okay, mini-comics creators! If you work is in the above collection (and I guess we have to wait for LoC to publish a finding aid), send them a letter authorizing them to digitize the mini and publish it online for viewing!

It was an amazing experience seeing all of these and I was delighted that Warren asked me to help out. (He did keep an eye on me, though, so I didn’t sneak anything out of his house.)

I think I mentioned that I didn’t even organize my minicomics collection until earlier this year and I think there are a few I’ve misplaced/lost. It makes me glad that the LoC is interested in preserving these publications. This is where a lot of the good stuff got its start, after all.

Oh man… Dean… way to make me feel guilty. Even as I am reading this, I am organizing my regular comics collection… I have been debating between donating them to my University’s library (which is interested) or just selling them.

Also, when you consider donating your collection, ask the institution about tax deductions. They will probably not place a value on the collection, but will certify the donation. The rest is up to you, your accountant, and your friendly neighborhood tax collector.

A bigger elephant in the room:
ARCHIVES.

Chris Claremont recently donated his archives to Columbia University. Many comic strip creators are archived (many at Ohio State!). What of comic book creators?